What We’re Reading: Nov. 30 – Dec. 6

REALTORS as a group are hardworking, non-stop go-getters. Where do you think this internal drive comes from? A new study from the University of Michigan finds that how we feel about work depends on how our parents feel about work.

Could a REALTOR® action figure be the next big marketing tool? A Swedish photographer has sent out 400 action figures of himself to prospective clients. Jens Lennartsson spent over a year on this marketing project but no word yet if it has paid off.

Mobile phones have settled into pretty much all a similar form – a brick with a large screen, camera, etc. YotaPhone wants to shake this up a bit, adding an e-ink display to the back of its standard Android model. Think Galaxy 3 + older Kindle. What’s the benefit? Well, for one, if you’re running low on power and just need a map to navigate, you can pull it up on your phone and then drop it on to the e-ink side. Other apps are envisioned. Would this type of devise appeal to you? CNET has a review from earlier in the year with a video showing the functionality of the device.

Get ready for a new pink. Pantone names Radiant Orchid the “it” color for 2014.

It is the gift-giving season. You’ve bought presents for your wife/husband/partner, children, bosses, your pets and your in-laws. One more group needs a present—new homeowners. Get some great ideas for your clients and customers.

Sure, knowing when to post on Facebook is important, but it’s not the be-all and end-all of running a Facebook page with maximum impact and engagement. Fast Company gives you 7 powerful Facebook statistics you should know about. A related article gets a bit more in-depth about Twitter/YouTube user demographics: 10 surprising social media statistics that will make yo rethink your social strategy.

It’s the start of top 1o list season. Time has their top 10 songs of the year. How many do you recognize? DJ Earworm has also released his annual mashup of the top 25 songs of the year. He always does an amazing job.

When Australian wildlife rangers lost track of a motion sensor camera they had set up to record images of crocodiles, they thought that it had fallen in a nearby river. But after the gadget showed up 70 miles away, video evidence pointed to a different culprit: a sea eagle had pocketed the camera and recorded his journey. Here’s the video rangers posted seven months after the brazen theft.

The New York Times has a story on the rise of new construction, single family homes for rent in neighborhoods formerly focused on first time buyers. As the economy has sputtered and buyers remain scarce, developers are turning to renters to fill their product.

This is from a few weeks ago, but is a really interesting way to show migration patterns between the states. The designer took data from the US Census’s American Home Survey showing the net inflows and outflows between states. If you hold your cursor over a state, it will slow data only for that location. A great deal of information in a really streamlined form.